1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to vibration damping, and more particularly to mechanical damping devices for gas turbine engine components.
2. Description of Related Art
Gas turbine engines ignite compressed air and fuel to create a flow of hot combustion gases that drive multiple stages of turbine blades. The turbine blades extract energy from the flow of hot combustion gases to drive a turbine rotor. The turbine rotor drives a fan to provide thrust and a compressor to provide a flow of compressed air. Disk covers coupled to the turbine blade stages form an inner portion of a gas path traversed by the hot combustion gases. These covers provide separation between the hot combustion gases traversing the turbine disk and portions of the disk not exposed to the combustion gases.
Turbine stage disk covers can be subject to vibrational forces and/or flutter due to fluid flow pulsation during engine operation. These forces can require damping, typically through cover geometry and/or material selection, or through use of a mechanical damper. Mechanical dampers function by absorbing vibrational energy through mechanical contact with the damped structure to reduce the response of the damped structure from vibrational forces and/or flutter otherwise resulting from fluid flow passed the structure during engine operation.
Such conventional methods and systems have generally been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is still a need in the art for improved mechanical damper. There is also a need for improved dampers with increased ability to withstand engine transportation loads. The present disclosure provides a solution for this need.